Washing-machine



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-sheet 1. W. S. GIBBONS 8v G. E. BABTHOLOMEW.

WASHING MAGHINB. No. 495,168.

.A TTOH/VE YS.

(No .M0de1,) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. S. GIBBONS 8v G. E. BARTHOL'OMEW.Y

WASHING MACHINE. I

No. 495,168. Y PatenteaApr. 11, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.. l

WILLIS S. GIBBONS AND GEORGE E. BARTHOLOMEW, OF RUSSELL, NE'VV YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,168, dated April11, 1893.

Application tiled March 30, 1892.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIS S. GIBBoNs andGEORGE E. BARTHoLoMEw, citizens of the United States, residing atRussell, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part thereof. Our invention relates to that class ofwashing machines in which a vertically reciprocating and intermittentlyrevolving pounder is utilized in connection with a stationary tub forholding the clothes, and it has for its object to improve theconstruction of such machines with a view to increasing their ediciencyand ease and convenience of operation.

To this end our invention consists in the washingv machine constructedand operating.

as hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters and numerals designatelike parts in the several views, Figure l is a plan view of our improvedwashing machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the tub and itsfalse bottom being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a view inperspective of the pounder. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machinewith the pounder raised to and held in its inoperative position. Fig. 5is a detail view showing the adjustable guide-block for the poundershaft. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the false bottom of the tub.

The letter a designates an ordinary Washtub, which is shown as restingupon a bench b with its front, lower edge bearing against a cleat b onsaid bench. In addition to its usual imperforate bottom said tub isprovided with a false bottom h2 having upon its under side a series ofcleats b3 whereby it is sustained at a distance above the tub bottomcorresponding to the thickness of said cleats, and which is providedwith a series of radially disposed slots b4 or otherv openings to permita free circulation of water therethrough, as will be presentlydescribed.

The letter c designates the supporting standard, which is preferablymade of wood, and which extends from a point near the bottom of the tub,at the outer side of the latter, to a considerable distance above thetop thereof,

Serial No. 427,090. (No model.)

as shown, and is provided with a suitably disposed shoulder 2 whichbears upon the upper edge of the tub, and with a clamping member 3,whichbears against the inner side of the tub and is adapted to beoperated by a threaded bolt 1l and thumb-nut 5 to tightly clamp thestandard upon the tub.

To facilitate holding the tub securely upon the bench b, we prefer toprovide the standard cwith a cleat 6 near its lower end, through whichpasses a threaded bolt 7 having at its lower end a hook which is adaptedto entera staple 8 on the bench, and carrying at its upper end athumb-nut 9, by turning which the standard and the tub to which it isrigidly secured can be securely locked upon the bench, and as readilyreleased therefrom.

The letter d designates the pounder-shaft, which carries at its lowerend the pounder d and at its upper end the ratchet wheel d2, and cdesignates the operating lever by which a Vertical movement is impartedto said shaft, said lever being composed of two parallel arms pivotallyconnected at their rear ends to the standard c and connected together attheir front ends by the handle-bar e. The arms of said lever areconnected to standard c at a point but slightly above the plane of theupper edge of Ythe tub, thereby greatly conducing to the comfort andease with which the lever can be operated as will be presentlydescribed. Between the arms of said lever is pivotally supported a blocke2, which is preferably made of Wood and has the trunnions or pivots atitsends inserted within suitable holes in said arms, said block beingprovided with a central opening through which passes the pounder-shaft din such manner as to be capable of a free revolving movement therein,While pins l0 entering one of a series of holes in said shaft, above andbelow said block, compel the shaft to partake of the vertical movementsof the block, in a manner which will be obvious from an inspection ofFig. 2 of the drawings. By providing the shaft with a series of holes toreceive said pins l0 provision is made for adjusting the normal heightof the pounder to correspond with the quantity of clothes within the tubwithout aecting the normal position of the lever e. A link-bar f ispivotally connected at its rear end to the standard c, near the upperend of IOO the latter, said bar being composed of two arms which areconnected together by a crossbar, f', and between which is pivotallysupported a block f2, similar to the block e2, and through which thepounder-shaft passes in the same manner, the function of said linkbarbeing to maintain the pounder-shaft in an upright position, as is commonin this class of machines.

As the angle at which the standard c stands will correspond with theangle of the sideof the tub, which latter is far from uniform, and as itis important to a perfect operation of the pounder that thepounder-shaft shall be maintained in a truly vertical position, we haveprovided means whereby this result can be secured regardless of theinclination of the side of the tub and standard c, such means vconsisting in devices whereby the block f2 can be adjusted toward andaway from the pivotal center of thelink-barf. As herein shown, Suchadjustment is secured by causing the trunnions of said block to projectthrough longitudinal slots 12 in the arms composingsaid bar, andconnecting to the outer end of each of said trunnions a slotted plate13, through the slots in which plates extends a bolt 14, whichconstitutes the center of the cross-bar f', and which carries at one endthe thumbnut 15. By loosening said thumb-nut the plates 13 and the blockf2 can be moved in either direction, and can be held in any desiredposition of adjustment by again tightening said nut, as will be fullyapparent by inspection of Fig. 5. Various other means for securingsaidadjustment can be employed within the spirit of our invention.

A pawl-carrier g is pivotally mounted upon the shaft d adjacent toratchet-wheel cl2, the spring-actuated pawl g of which engages the teethof said wheel, and a link-rod g3 connected to the outer end of saidcarrier carries at its free end a hook, or other suitable device,whereby it is adapted to be detachably connected to a bracket e3projecting upwardly from the lever c, said bracket being provided withone or more eyes 16 to receive said hook. When ysaid link-rod is in itsoperative position, as shown inFig. 2, each upward movement of lever ewill impart a partial revolution to the pounder-shaft through said rod,the pawl-carrier, and its pawl, and with each downward movement of saidlever the pawlcarrier will be retracted to cause its pawl to engage anew tooth of the ratchet-wheel. detaching the end of said link-rod fromthe bracket e3 the operative parts of the machine can be swung upwardlyto the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the clothes can bereadily placed in and removed from the tub, or a wringing machine can beattached to the tub and used in the ordinary manner. To temporarilyretain the parts in such elevated position we utilize a pin 17 suitablyhung to the frame, which is inserted through holes 18 in the bracket e3and one ot'l the arms of link-bar f, said holes being brought intoregister with each other when the parts are swung to their highestposition.

The pounder d is shown as being of asubstantially rectangular shape, andhaving an open bottom, its interior being divided into sections-by avertical partition 19 extending from end to end thereof by a zig-zagline, as shown in Fig. 3. The object of thus dividing tle interior ofthe pounder into sections is to increase its capacity for creating asuction upon the water within the tub, as it is lowered upon and raisedfrom the clothes, and to thereby cause a circulation of the waterthrough the clothes and through the openings in the false bottom b2,which action of the water results in a speedy and thorough cleansing ofthe clothes within the tub. The particular shape of the pounder is notmaterial, however, so long asl it, retains this capacity for causing acirculation of water through the clothes. The operation of the washingmachine thus constructed will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription.

The standard c being securely fastened t0 the tub by means of itsclamping member 3, and the tub being secured to the bench by meansof thebolt 7 and staple 8, the poundershaft is adjusted vertically within theblocks e2 and f2 to cause lever e to occupy a substantially horizontalposition when the pounder rests upon the clothes within the tub. Theoperator then grasps the handle-bar e and, by imparting an upward anddownward swinging movement to lever e, causes the pounder and its shaftto move in a vertical plane, the former with each descent forcing thewater through the clothes and through the openings in the false bottomb2, and causing an upward circulation of the water with each upwardmovement thereof by reason of the suction secured by its open bottom,the partial revolution imparted to the poundershaft during each upwardmovement thereof by the means described, causing the pounder to engage anew area of the clothes at each descent. and thoroughly removes all dirtfrom tho clothes after which, by securing the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 4, a wringer can be secured to the tub and the clotheswrung out in the usual manner. By rendering the block f2 adjustablewithin the link-bar f as described we rare enabled to maintain thepounder-shaft in a truly vertical position regardless of the inclinationof the side of the tub, and thereby secure a perfect suction action ofthe pounder under all circumstances.

The washing machine herein described is simple and inexpensive inconstruction and at the same time very strong and durable,

IOO

IIO

Such continued operation quickly and can be operated with perfect easeto ,i

1. In a washing machine, the combination with an operating lever and alink-bar, piv-` otally connected at their rear ends to a common supportand each carrying a pivotally supported bearing-block, of apounder-shaft passing loosely through both of said blocks and carrying apounder at its lower end, means substantially as described for causingsaid shaft to partake of the vertical movements of said operatinglever,and means for adjusting the bearing-block on said link-bar toward andaway from the pivotal center of said bar, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. In a washing machine, a standard and means for detachably securing itto the side of a tub, a vertically disposed pounder-shaft carrying at ornear its upper end a ratchetwheel and at its lower end a pounder havingan open bottom, an operating lever pivoted at its rear end to saidstandard and carrying a pivotally supported block which forms a bearingfor said shaft, means for securing a vertical adjustment of the shaftwithin said block, a link-bar pivoted at its rear end to said standardabove said operating lever and carrying a pivotally supported blockwhich embraces said shaft, means for securing an adjustment of saidblock longitudinally of said bar, a pawl-carrier mounted upon said shaftand carrying a pawl which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel on thelatter, and a link connection between said pawl-carrier and an upwardlyprojecting portion of said operating lever, combined and operatingsubstantially as described.

3. In a washing machine, the combination with the pounder-shaft d andoperatinglever 4. In a washing machine, the combination with standard c,of pounder-shaft d carrying ratchet-wheel d2 at its upper end, lever eprovided with the upwardly projecting bracket e3 and carrying thepivoted block e2 which embraces said shaft, link-bar f carrying block f2also embracing said shaft, pawl-carrier gcarrying pawl g which engagessaid wheel d2, and linkrod g8 connected. at one end to said pawl carrierand having its opposite end adapted to detachably engage said bracket e3on lever e, substantiallyas described. A

WILLIS S. GIBBONS. I GEORGE E. BARTHOLOMEW. Witnesses:

WARREN D. STONE, A. B. SCOTT.

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